Student Athlete of the Week Eli Quesada

When Eli Quesada decided to wrestle this year, the Niwot High School junior's goal was simply to make the varsity team. He picked up the sport intending to help his football career and didn't expect much in terms of results.

Now, only months after his first high school match, Quesada is preparing to wrestle on Colorado's biggest stage. The 165-pounder earned a state championship bid this past weekend by placing fourth in the Class 4A Region 2 Tournament.

"It's been crazy seeing how much I got better and how it's played out in this tournament," Quesada said.

Quesada won his first two regional matches to qualify for the 165-pound semifinals. There, he was pinned by Mead High School's Hunter Humphrey, but Quesada remained well-positioned to finish top four and qualify for state.

His big win came in the consolation semifinals when he pinned Montrose High School's Jayce England, giving Quesada a top-four placement.

"That's the best I've wrestled this year," Quesada said of beating England. "It was a really good match and clinching (state) was great for me."

Coming into this season, Niwot wrestling head coach Michael DeCamillis saw great potential in Quesada despite his lack of mat experience. The biggest key for DeCamillis was to instill belief in his 165-pounder.

"I wouldn't say he exceeded my expectations," DeCamillis said. "I knew he was capable of it. I'm happy that he finally saw that he was capable of it. In wrestling, part of it is physical, but part of it is mental. Winning the mental battle is almost as hard as winning the physical battle out on the mat. Getting him to that point where he can turn off his brain and say, 'Yes, I can do this. I can compete,' that's almost as hard as getting in the room and saying, 'Hey, I want to wrestle.'"

A deadly combination began to form as Quesada's confidence on the mat grew alongside his innate competitive drive.

"He's a competitor," DeCamillis said. "I got a chance to coach him at football and see him compete out on the football field. I knew there was a chance that he'd come in here and he'd get his mind right and be able to compete, and that's exactly what he did. I'm so proud of him because he got after it."

Quesada will join Niwot teammates Ryder Evans (144 pounds) and Jonathan Lopez (285 pounds) at Ball Arena in Denver for the 2025 CHSAA State Wrestling Championships on Feb. 13-15.

"I'm super surprised and really excited," Quesada said. "I didn't think I would get this far. I'm ready to go do some work."